Wireless marketing

Abstract

A system, method, and network through which a Wi-Fi hot spot provider provides Internet access to users in exchange for the right to send marketing messages to the user from vendors. The Wi-Fi hot spot provider charges vendors for delivering marketing messages and ensures that access is limited to user-agreed parameters. The system, method, and network uses cellular telephone text messaging in a way that integrates location based advertising and text based advertising. The system, method, and network creates opportunities for up-sell by delivering marketing messages and offers to users who actually visited the particular venue and may still be present in the venue; tracking the user's participation and response to marketing messages in order to direct further marketing after the user has left the venue; and having knowledge of past marketing messages when the user re-appears at an event or at a similar event.

I claim: 
     
         1 . A system for wireless marketing by which marketing messages and access messages are sent to a plurality of users, the system comprising:
 a server, having an administrative interface, vendor interface, a plurality of login sessions, where each such login session may be allocated among the plurality of users;   the server further having the marketing messages and the access messages to be delivered to the plurality of users;   the marketing messages further comprising information about vendor products and services;   the access messages further comprising information that enables access for each of the plurality of users to one of the plurality of login sessions, respectively;   the server further having a Wi-Fi hot spot through which each of the plurality of users with access information may have access to an internet;   each of the plurality of users having an access device for connection to the network;   a cellular telephone operated by each one of the plurality of users, where the each such cellular telephone is capable of sending and receiving marketing and access messages via an SMS gateway, wherein the SMS gateway sends and receives the marketing messages and access messages to the respective cellular telephone of each such plurality of users, respectively;   each such cellular telephone further having a telephone number, respectively;   wherein the system provides Internet access to each of the plurality of users, respectively, who agree to receive marketing messages;   the server may retain the cellular telephone number and a transaction history for the plurality of users;   and,   the server having rules by which the system may select appropriate times to send or not send the marketing messages.   
     
     
         2 . A method for wireless marketing by which marketing messages and access messages are sent to a plurality of users, the method comprising:
 each one of the plurality of users who seeks access to an internet requests access from a server by way of a Wi-Fi hot spot;   the server responds by way of with an offer for the respective one of the plurality of users to accept marketing messages in exchange for being allowed access to the internet;   for each one of the plurality of users, respectively, accepts the offer, the respective user sends a cellular telephone number to the server, for the respective user to receive one or more SMS text messages;   the server sends access information to the respective user via the one or more SMS text message to the respective user;   the user receives the access information and uses it to obtain access to the internet through the Wi-Fi hot spot;   the server sends marketing information to the respective user via the one or more SMS text messages;   the server may retain a transaction history;   and,   the server may select appropriate times to send or not send the marketing messages according to rules.   
     
     
         3 . A network for wireless marketing by which marketing messages and access messages are sent to a plurality of users, the network comprising:
 a plurality of vendors seeking to send marketing messages to users;   a server for providing access to an internet in exchange for permission to send marketing an SMS gateway for communication among the plurality of users, the plurality of vendors, an administrator, and the server;   said administrator having access to the server by the internet or directly;   an internet configured for communication among the plurality of users, the plurality of vendors, the administrator, and the server;   a plurality of users seeking access to the internet, each such user having a cellular telephone capable of sending and receiving SMS messages and each such user having a device capable of internet access;   wherein the network allows each of the plurality of users access to the internet, where each such user is allowed access, respectively, in exchange for accepting marketing messages.